1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to positive displacement pumps.
More particularly, this invention relates to positive displacement pumps that convert oscillatory clockwise, counterclockwise motion into pumping motion by affecting a weight mass housed within a circular track to drive a fluid through at least a pair of cooperating one-way valves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of positive displacement pumps in the prior art.
An example of the state of the art technology readily available in the Patent and Trademark Office is U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,977. This invention describes a piston within a housing with an inlet valve in one end of the housing, a valve in the hollow piston and a third valve at the exit end of the housing. The valve in the inlet end of the housing cooperates with the valve in the piston. As the piston moves away from the inlet end of the housing, fluid is drawn into the inlet end and, as the piston moves toward the inlet end, fluid is driven through the one-way valve within the piston to fill a chamber on the exit end of the piston. As the piston oscillates toward the exit end of the housing, fluid is driven out of the third valve which allows fluid to escape through the valve and out of the pumping device. This invention is disadvantaged in that it is directly connected to an oscillatory power source which mechanically links the pumping device to the power source and the power source is a sole motivational means for oscillating the piston mass within the housing. The oscillatory power source drives the piston linearly within the cylinder and, if the cylinder is not aligned with the oscillatory motion, then the pumping device is less efficient. This phenomenon is explained in detail in copending patent application Ser. Nos. 252,383 and 303,216.
The present invention takes advantage of a rotational, back and forth oscillatory motion in that the housing of the positive displacement pump defines an annular path for the pumping means so that rotational oscillatory motion (back and forth rotational motion) causes the fluid driving force within the annular track to drive fluid through the pump.